iDiscover An Infection
by Darth Zexar
Summary: When Freddie Benson encounters a man who should be dead, everyone thinks he's crazy. But soon after weird things happen in Seattle, how long can the gang deny what Freddie saw when it's staring them in the face?
1. iDiscover An Infection

**I've had the idea for this for ages, finally decided to write it, so here it is. Any criticism would be greatly appreciated, still in the planning stages and am not fully sure whether to continue.**

**Thanks,**

**Darth Zexar**

Heading to his apartment from Bushwell Plaza's rooftop, Freddie Benson failed to notice a streak of oil on the floor and slipped, dropping everything he was holding in a loud crash. Cursing under his tongue he rose to his feet and checked his equipment for any damage or breakages, sighing a breath of relief when he knew everything was okay. From the corner of his eye he could see a man stumbling towards him so he swiveled around, fearful when he saw the state of him.

He looked almost completely void of life with sunken, blackened eyes under his dark receding hair line, which in turn was covered in a sticky substance. His mouth was open wide to reveal a rotting set of teeth, accompanied by a stench fouler than anything Freddie had ever smelt in his entire life. Skin was stretched tightly over his skull to show every bump, crevice, and dent within his bones, making him look like little more than a skeleton. What Freddie presumed was blood began to stream from the man's nose, but it was jet black without a trace of a normal red. It was only then that the man made any noise by screaming, a high-pitched, and painful scream of someone in complete and utter agony. The man collapsed onto his back but the dreadful noise was reluctant to cease until it stopped as sudden as it started.

Freddie scrambled to his feet much more scared than he'd ever been before, and took a few jittery steps towards the wreck of a man. He looked fragile as a ninety year old, but Freddie could now see that he was in actual fact Frank Parker, a thirty four year old bus driver. As Freddie's eyes lingered on his face the pair of dark eyes opened and flicked around like mad, as if searching for something within the room. Quicker than anyone should ever be able to move he had risen to his feet and lifted Freddie into the air with a single hand, holding him inches from his twisted nose.

"Benson", the man screeched in a horror-movie way, sending Freddie into a state of unconsciousness.

_Hours Later_

Freddie opened his eyes to the bright light of a midday summer sun as he laid on Carly Shay's couch, the back of his head throbbing with a sharp pain.

"Hey kiddo", Spencer smiled, handing Freddie a small pack of ice.

"What happened?", Freddie questioned, his voice feeling quite croaky.

"We found you a few floors up next to some oil, you must of slipped and hit your head"

"I don't remember anyth-", he began to say, stopping mid sentence as he suddenly remember everything that happened before he blacked out, "Frank Parker"

"Huh?", Spencer asked, not understanding what Freddie was meaning.

"I saw him, he looked ill"

"Freddie, Frank Parker died two weeks ago, he was really ill"

"But I saw him", Freddie half-shouted, cut short from his intended argument as Carly and Sam walked into the apartment.

"How you feeling?", Carly quizzed, sitting down next to him on the couch.

"Frank Parker", Freddie repeated, confusing Carly, as he got up and headed into the kitchen.

"Hey Freddork", Sam shouted at him to get his attention, "There's some juice on the floor, don't slip on it"

She chuckled at her own Freddie-related torment and continued eating her Italian meatball sub, her taste buds coming alive with each mouthful.

"Very funny Puckett", he snapped back at her, abandoning what he was doing and sitting at the kitchen island.

"What happened to Frank Parker?", he asked casually, taking a mouthful of the root beer that was on the counter.

"Myocardial infarction", Carly stated, smiling at how smart she sounded, "Why?"

"Freddie thinks he saw him", Spencer scoffed to Carly and Sam's amusement.

"You really hit your head hard", Sam mocked, ruffling his hair as she walked over to him.

"It's not a joke", he told them seriously.

He was sure he'd seen Frank, as sure as he'd been about anything in his life so he decided he'd do some research when he got away from all the mockery. As his mom was out of town he was at Carly's almost all the time, so he headed up to the studio with his laptop and opened the internet, searching for any information on Frank's death. After a few minutes of searching he found an interesting article about a few never previously encountered symptoms that Frank had experienced.

_Frank Parker, recently deceased, was a respected bus shuttle driver, friendly with everyone young and old. His death came as a shock to his friends and family, the 34 year old had been a very active person, playing a wide variety of sports from soccer to tennis, whilst frequently attending the gym. However, doctor's were given a shock when examining his body post-death. Cause of death had been confirmed as myocardial infarction (heart attack), but he had also experienced some very strange symptoms._

_He had begun to deteriorate physically before death, and had very little muscle tissue remaining anywhere on his body. His blood had been markedly discolored to a very deep black showing very little to no oxidization of the haemoglobin, contributing towards myocardial infarction. What's more, Frank is believed to have been in this state for four days prior to death, stumping doctors as to how he could have survived without an oxygen supply to his heart and brain. His previously green eyes had morphed into a very dark red, almost black in color, another occurrence that doctors have never encountered._

_British doctor, Professor Price, believes a combination of bacterial and viral mutation is behind the strange case, using the body as a host and keeping the victim alive through anaerobic respiration._

Freddie began to freak out a little because of what he'd read, Frank Parker had only been living a few floors away from them. If a bacterial mutation had really been the cause of what had happened then who's to say it had gone from the building, it may have lingered. With a shudder Freddie was reminded of what he'd looked like, and it was only then he remembered that Parker should have been dead.


	2. iDevelopments

_One Week Later_

Freddie awoke with a start, perspiration dripping off his body into his sheets. He felt like he was sleeping in a river, the disorientation sending him into a panic. A pair of bright red eyes shone through the darkness, two beams of isolated light amongst the black room. He jolted upwards, rubbing his eyes frantically pleading for it to be his imagination. Breathing heavily he was on the verve of hyperventilating, the charge and standby lights on his laptop causing his near-heart-attack. Calming himself down he crossed the room and sat at his desk, blinking away the light-burn from the screen as his eyes adjusted. It had been seven whole days since he'd seen Frank, but he couldn't get the image out of his head, let alone the article he'd read. His dreams were all of that damned day; he'd barely slept a wink.

Firing up 'Google' he inputted the only search criteria he'd entered for days, 'Seattle mystery disease', expecting to only see the article he'd read before.

"Twenty million results, one of which is actually what I'm searching for", he muttered to himself sarcastically.

A new link had now appeared above Frank's article, so he checked he'd spelt the search correctly, not believing it when he realized it was another case.

_Doctors are startled as the body of a man exhibits symptoms encountered only once previously little over a week ago. Harry Banks, 22, was found in his apartment by his fiancé, 24 year-old Hillary Osborne. Post-mortem reveals mortifying results. Similarly to the one previously recorded occurrence, Harry died of myocardial infarction due to a lack of oxygen to the heart. The dark red of his eyes is no believed to be due to a viral infection, which the doctors are now referring to as ruber oculis morbis. Jet black blood shows a severity greater to the previous case, a new species of bacteria believed to be the cause; something scientists are testing. His bone structure is believed to have been enhanced by the condition, the bones themselves twice as strong._

The article began to freak Freddie out. Bushwell Plaza was a large building, but even so Freddie knew most of the occupants, primarily due to his mother's antics. Harry Banks lived on the same floor as Frank Parker. _Didn't mention that, did you?_ He thought to himself.

_Later That Day_

"Did you hear about Harry from upstairs?", Freddie quizzed Carly and Spencer as he entered their apartment.

"Yeah, I saw his fiancé yesterday", Spencer replied, not taking his eyes from the TV screen.

"Weird, right?", Freddie continued, "Two deaths on the same floor, both with the same symptoms"  
>"Drop it Freddie, it's just a coincidence", Carly snapped, sick of his near-constant talk of the 'disease'.<p>

Freddie shook his head and left the apartment, returning moments later with his laptop to show Carly the article he'd read early that morning. She read it with an unreadable expression whilst Freddie stared at her, desperate for her to believe him.

"Strange", Carly stated, clicking twice and staring at the screen looking shocked.

After a few moments Spencer became intrigued and looked over her shoulder, swallowing hard when he saw the title of the article, _Hillary Osborne found dead_. Spencer read the short article aloud.

"Hillary Osborne found dead in her apartment only two days after her fiancé. She exhibits the same condition as Harry Banks and Frank Parker. The seemingly contagious bacterium has been present in three deaths in the past few weeks, are we to see more to come?"

Freddie looked oddly satisfied by the news, more due to the fact he could see Carly and Spencer were starting to believe him. Nevertheless his sight victory was cut short by Sam Puckett, who walked in through the door behind him and flicked his head. It was common knowledge that school wasn't her favorite thing, and that meant additional torment for Freddie. In truth he quite liked it, it was a part of their friendship he loved. Sometimes.

_Four Hours Later_

Fast approaching their lunch hour, Freddie couldn't help but sneak a look at his pear phone for any additional articles. Inputting the usual search criteria he saw there were no new updates, but decided to take another peek at the page about Hillary Osborne. Reading through he noticed a link under the heading 'Breaking News: Settle Morgue Break-in?', and clicked it with an urge of excitement.

_Seattle Police Department are undergoing an investigation to find the bodies of three recently deceased victims of a mystery disease. Frank Parker, Harry Banks, and Hillary Osborne died of a previous un-encountered disease, and are believed to have been taken by extremist groups, prevention of medical studies their aim. Police urge anyone with information to contact them immediately through phone or any police station._

Freddie shut his phone off and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He was scared. He'd even begun to doubt seeing Frank after how the others were treating it, but now he could scarcely believe it. The shrieking of the bell tore him from his thoughts and autopilot led him into the canteen to sit with Sam and Carly. Hearing voices but not actual words he stared absently at the clock, watching the seconds tick slowly by, until pain in his arm brought him back.

"Hey, Frednub", Sam taunted.

"Oh, sorry, what were you saying?"

"What's wrong?", Carly was concerned about him, he'd barely even touched his food.

"Those three deaths in Bushwell, their bodies are missing from the morgue"

"Oh my God, Freddie, what are they? Zombies? Vampires?", Sam mocked, actually using his proper name.

"Sorry, your Highness, I forgot you know everything", Freddie snapped in return, earning himself a death-glare.

"Stop it you two. But just forget it Freddie"

"Oh come on, you still don't believe I saw Frank?"

"HE'S DEAD", Sam yelled, getting really quite angry with him.

"Whatever"

Growing tired of them, Sam in particular, Freddie rose to his feet and stormed out of the canteen and headed straight into Gibby.

"Freddie, I have an idea for iCarly", Gibby spoke quickly, clearly excited.

"Not now", he told him firmly, continuing straight out of the school doors.

_Never ditched school before_, Freddie thought as he walked back home.


	3. iVampires In Seattle

Kelly Wilson hated Seattle by night, especially when she was alone. Crime figures had hit a relative low recently and that gave her some small comfort as the time rapidly approached 2am. Someone recently told her everyone had a 'thing', and hers was apparently paranoia. She agreed all of a sudden. Slipping her hand into her pocket she pulled out her cell and dialed her boyfriend's number, hoping he'd still be awake.

"Hello, you've reach Robert Renelle's mobile. I'm unavailable at the moment but leave your name and number and I will get back to you, bye", she heard after the normal few rings.

"Curse you, Rob", she said to her phone.

They were meant to have been going out of town for the weekend until he'd been called into work thanks to a body thief. He was the 'Senior Investigating Officer' for the week, so it was his problem; and hence hers. What irritated her more than anything was that he'd had half an hour to go until duty was shifted to someone else. Thirty bloody minutes. She was incredibly proud of him, at only 22 he was on the verge of another promotion to sergeant, but she did get frustrated.

Rounding a corner into 'Madison Street' she almost didn't notice the commotion ahead; if she had she would had turned back into 4th Avenue and gone the long way home. A man and woman seemed to be wrestling a young man to the floor, and it wasn't until she got relatively close that she saw what was going on. The woman turned to face her and smiled. Not a nice smile, the smile a psycho would show before going in for the kill. Kelly's face was drained of color immediately whilst the piercing scream barely left her lips before she was closed down.

A claw-like hand scratched the side of her face and sent her tumbling to the floor, grazing her hands on the rough concrete. Another blunt hit knocked the wind out of her but she fought back. Diving towards her enemy, Kelly went for the woman's face, digging a thumb into her eye socket and pushing hard. Blood poured from the socket down her hand and arm, a small victory. An arm wrapped around her stomach and pulled Kelly off her assailant, slamming her down head first onto the hard ground. The man, looking fouler than the woman, pinned her down and went in for the kill.

Kelly Wilson's screams were drowned by the darkness, fading into nothing.

_Three Hours Later_

Robert Renelle was sitting in his office when he got the call; fatalities on 'Madison Street'. A mile from his posting: 'Virginia Street'. He knew Kelly was going to be angry with him as he'd been at work all night, but he had to take the call. After a few minutes he'd reached his personal 1974 'Pontiac Firebird Trans Am' – his pride and joy – and was driving towards 'Madison Street'. An ambulance flew past in the same direction, so he kept up and arrived within a minute, pulling up behind the squad car that had been first on the scene.

"What've we got, Sponge?", he asked the officer he knew quite well.

He'd earner his nick-name by his ability to absorb unreal amounts of information and remember it, like a sponge in water. Or, more tre to what his job often entailed, blood.

"Two fatalities, boss", he replied through tired-looking eyes, both of them having hoped to have been long asleep by now.

Robert followed Sponge through the crime scene to where the two bodies lay motionless, looking relatively peaceful as murder victims go. As his eyes hovered over Kelly Wilson he turned away and threw up.

_Two Days Later_

Freddie had found no new information at all despite his efforts; it seemed as though nothing was going to pop-up. Checking for the fourth time in half as many hours he did a double take as a new article presented itself with a title he couldn't quite resist.

'_Vampires In Seattle?'_

Freddie read the article twice over as he couldn't quite believe it. Intriguing as it was, it couldn't be much of a scarier prospect. Two bodies had been found with a vast majority of their blood gone and bite wounds to their neck, but it seemed like the writer was using the term 'vampire' as a joke. Shivering, he closed the article and returned to his work. Unfortunately for him their new substitute teacher for the day, Mr. Wallace, had taken over their science class. Having seen the story on his computer he had fired it up on the projector screen, showing a TV broadcast on the two murders.

"This may be a world-changing discovery", Wallace spoke to the class, unaware at just how true his words could be, "What with last week's deaths in Bushwell Plaza; there's a lot of strange things happening in Seattle"

"It's not actual vampires, is it?", a boy named Charles asked from the front of the class.

"I very much doubt it. Interesting none the less", he replied, taking a seat next to the screen and indicating for them to return to work.

He left the screen on and a Police Detective took center stage giving out a statement on the events that had transpired the previous night. He looked as if he was going through hell, Freddie thought as he watched.

"A female and a male were found by passer's by early this morning, their deaths suspicious. I have heard many rumors of vampires in Seattle. I wish to crush that idea right here, right now. This is the work of a sick individual, an individual that myself and the Seattle Police Department will make every effort to apprehend. If anyone has any information regarding these deaths, contact any Seattle Police station, or the Virginia Street station crime hotline"

_That Evening_

"And that's a wrap", Freddie told the two girls and Gibby in front of him after iCarly, still deep in thought about the recent deaths.

"What's up, Freddie?", Carly asked him a little half-heartedly as she guessed what it was about.

"I think I should call the cops, it might help them"

"What? That they think you're a crazy?", Sam replied bluntly.

"Haha Puckett", Freddie snapped back, getting increasingly irritated by her.

Recently Sam had really started pissing him off. He wasn't sure whether it was stress of everything happening in his life: from his paranoia about Frank, to the upcoming end-of-year finals. She was still his best friend, and nothing would change that, he just wished she would back off a little. Hell, he enjoyed some light ribbing.

"I think Freddie could be onto something", Gibby announced a little too enthusiastically.

"You're both nubs", Sam shook her head and picked up her half eaten ham sandwich from the plate on the floor, eating it rather elegantly for such a messy creature.

Freddie had had enough and left the studio with speed, slamming the door behind him a little harder than he intended to. He didn't slow until he'd left the apartment and was on his way down the sets of stairs, leaving the building his intention. His mom was expecting him home shortly after iCarly finished, but he couldn't care less through the veil of anger and disappointment. He couldn't place his finger on why he felt disappointed that Sam didn't believe him at all. He was so strung up on his thoughts he didn't clock the solitary figure lurking in Bushwell's shadow watching with dark red eyes.

_Meanwhile_

"Sir, go home", Robert's junior - and good friend - Max Holloway told him.

"Not until I catch this sick son of a-"

"Detective Renelle, we have a problem", he was interrupted by Jane Ashton, an equally-ranked Detective a few years his senior who worked closely with forensics.

"Yes?"  
>"The bodies from last night, they're gone"<p>

Robert felt as though his heart had completely shattered, his soul sucked into the void that had ripped apart his world. The void that was rapidly destroying his life like the effect of placing a black hole in the center of the universe. Anger at the perpetrator fueled his determination, re-boosted every ounce of motivation he could possibly summon.

"Max, get Ben to do a trawl of CCTV within a mile radius of the murder and the mortuary", he scratched his head in thought, "Anything suspicious, anything at all, I want it flagged up. Jane, I need the murder weapon identified as soon as possible, any DNA from the neck marks, if it's really a bite. Anything found needs to be fast-tracked, and I don't care how much it costs"

"I'll do my best", Jane nodded, rushing off down the corridor.

"Rob, keep calm, yeah?"

Robert slopped down into his chair and brought his computer to life, checking through the incident log for anything that could be related. He knew he'd have to accept Kelly's death eventually, but he had to keep busy. HAD to. Had to find her killer. Had to get him or her sentenced to life imprisonment, or better, death. Failure was not something he was going to accept; he would get to the bottom of this case if it killed him. His mobile rang on the desk, buzzing frantically like a bee trapped in a glass.

"Detective Renelle", he answered in a monotonous voice, not interested in being particularly friendly.

"We've got another body, same MO"

"What the fuck is going on?"


End file.
